ROMM PHOTOGRAPHY
Green's Noah Schaub and Revere's Dom Scianna tangled in a 106-pound match on Thursday night. Schaub prevailed and the host Bulldogs won the SL meet 41-27.
WESTFIELD TWP. – Two-time state champion Nick Tavanello walked out to the center of the mat in Cloverleaf’s gymnasium and got his hand raised twice.
His opponent?
There was none.
But Thursday’s forfeits signified the return of the 285-pounder and the return of Wadsworth’s wrestling team, which has had Tavanello and state qualifier Brandon Jones (126 pounds) out until Thursday's Suburban League triangular with Highland and Cloverleaf.
With the two back, it was hard to remember the Grizzlies didn’t place a single individual at the Walsh Ironman Tournament just five days ago.
This Wadsworth team looked much like the team of old in waxing Highland 60-9 before thrashing Cloverleaf 70-4 in what can only be considered a statement to the rest of the league. The Grizzlies are on track to win their 20th straight SL championship.
“The energy Tavanello and Jones bring is undeniable,” Grizzlies coach John Gramuglia said. “It’s so much different than Cincinnati. We wrestled hard there, but there was an intensity tonight.
“It was tough. The chemistry wasn’t there until tonight. We’ll take this.”
They’ll take it because in almost every one of their 28 matches, Wadsworth (4-2, 2-0) had its hand raised.
Add it up and Connor Gray (106 pounds), Corey Riggenbach (113), Mathias Zollinger (120), Jones (126), Kagan Squire (132), Aaron Warstler (138), Chris Baughman (145), Cody Gordon (152), Tim Knipl (170), Hayden Frisby (195) and Tavanello (285) won all of their matches.
The chemistry was back and at a fevered pitch as Wadsworth used the triangular as a prep for this weekend’s North Canton Hoover Holiday Tournament where the Grizzlies are the two-time defending champs.
But for some, it was just nice to step back on the mat and get things rolling again.
“It feels awesome,” Jones said. “I love to be back. I feel like we were more of a team now.
“It was hard to sit there and watch. I’ve always wanted to be out there. It’s one of the greatest feelings in the world to be part of the team again after being out for three weeks.”
Highland (2-2, 0-2) wasn’t missing anyone in a strong lineup up the middle, but fell short against Nordonia as well in a 37-27 loss.
The Hornets opened the season by winning the Battle of Route 18 and then finished one spot ahead of the Knights last weekend at the North Coast Classic.
The squad laid an egg twice as only Lazar Vilimonovic (160) and Adam Kluk (182) won both matches.
“We need to be in better condition,” Vilimonovic. “We just froze up. We choked. We looked at this as Wadsworth wasn’t going to give us a match, but they came out strong and it carried over.
“It’s good to get (a wake-up call) this early because we have to improve now and keep working. This showed us what we had to do.”
Nordonia (2-0, 2-0) won its opener against Cloverleaf (0-2, 0-2) by a score of 56-21.
Eric Juskin (113), James Coyne (120), Austin Isaac (126), Mike Decesare (132), Nathaniel Codner (145) and Brandon Ren (285) won both their matches for the Knights.
Kyle Jenkin (220) was the only wrestler to win both matches for the Colts.
Wadsworth 60, Highland 9
106: Connor Gray (Wad) d. Marko Vilimonovic, 12-10, OT; 113: Corey Riggenbach (Wad) p. Zac Balski, 3:31; 120: Mathias Zollinger (Wad) p. Frank Ravanelli, 1:58; 126: Brandon Jones (Wad) p. Dominic Carrino, 1:44; 132: Kagan Squire (Wad) m.d. James Kunzler, 9-1; 138: Aaron Warstler (Wad) t.f. Dominic Ravanelli, 18-1; 145: Chris Baughman (Wad) p. Tom Gabyak, 1:45; 152: Cody Gordon d. Colin Rininger (Hig), 5-4; 160: Lazar Vilimonovic (Hig) d. Tyler Lucas-Walsh, 4-0; 170: Tim Knipl (Wad) p. Nick Corvo, 3:46; 182: Adam Kluk (Hig) p. Shane Mast, 1:34; 195: Hayden Frisby (Wad) d. Zach Blessing, 8-5; 220: Brett Spinelli (Wad) by ff; 285: Nick Tavanello (Wad) by ff.
Records: Wadsworth (3-2, 1-0), Highland (2-1, 0-1).
Nordonia 56, Cloverleaf 21
106: Nick Collica (Nor) by ff; 113; Eric Juskin (Nor) d. Austin Probert, 16-13; 120; James Coyne (Nor) by ff; 126: Austin Isaac (Clo) by ff; 132: Mike Decesare (Nor) p. Chase Werner, :44; 138: Chuck Vickers (Nor) by t.f. Ryan Pascal, 19-2; 145: Nathaniel Codner p. Joe Kruggel, 5:40; 152: Ryan Taylor (Nor) p. Zach Skidmore, 4:59; 160: Tyler Dobbins (Clo) p. Mark Filakosky, 1:13; 170 Doug Cameron (Clo) p. Tyler McCann, 1:49; 182: Double forfeit; 195 Eric Claren (Nor) p. Austin Kozma, 5:10; 220 Kyle Jenkin (Clo) d. Alex Woicehovich, 10-8; 285: Brandon Ren (Nor) by ff.
Records: Nordonia (1-0, 1-0), Cloverleaf (0-1, 0-1).
Wadsworth 76, Cloverleaf 4
106: Gray (Wad) by ff; 113: Riggenbaugh (Wad) t.f. Probst, 17-0; 120: Zollinger (Wad) by ff; 126: Jones (Wad) by ff; 132: Squire (Wad) p. Werner, 0:53; 138: Warstler (Wad) p. Pascal, 0:47; 145: Baughman (Wad) t.f. Kruggel, 25-9; 152: Gordon (Wad) p. Skidmore, 0:52; 160: Lucas-Walsh (Wad) t.f. Dobbins, 15-0; 170: Knipl (Wad) p. Cameron, 3:12; 182: Alex Carroll (W) p. Kozma, :59; 195: Frisby (Wad) by ff; 220: Jenkin (Clo) m.d. Spinelli (Wad), 10-1; 285: Tavanello (Wad) by ff.
Records: Wadsworth (4-2, 2-0), Cloverleaf (0-2, 0-2).
Nordonia 37, Highland 27
106: M. Vilimonovic (Hig) d. Collica, 10-8; 113: Juskin (Nor) p. Balski, 2:44; 120: Coyne (Nor) t.f. F. Ravanelli, 20-5; 126: Austin Isaac (Nor) p. D. Carrino, 1:25; 132: Decesare (Nor) d. Kunzler, 8-6; 138: Heath Phillibert (Nor) d. D. Ravanelli, 5-1; 145: Codner (Nor) m.d. Gabyak, 10-2; 152: Rininger (Hig) p. Taylor, 2:45; 160: L. Vilimonovic (Hig) p. Filakosky, 0:58; 170: McCann (Nor) p. Carvo, 4:59; 182: Kyle Ragung (Hig) by ff; 195: Adam Kluk (Hig) p. Claren, 3:02; 220: Woicehovich (Nor) m.d. Blessing, 13-4; 285: Ren (Nor) by ff.
Records: Nordonia (2-0, 2-0), Highland (2-2, 0-2).
Also in the Suburban League on Thursday night:
GREEN 41, REVERE 27.
COPLEY 49, REVERE 21.
Revere junior Stephen Suglio (182) improved to 12-0 on the season. Freshman Zeck Lehman (152) also picked up two wins at Green to run his record to 9-3.